Poetry in silk and gold The Legendary Paithani

Type of Saree: Paithani Region: Paithan, Aurangabad in Maharashtra No Maharastrian wedding can complete without a Paithani saree! It is Maharashtras pride and every bride dreams of having a Paithani as part of her trousseau. It has been a precious heirloom all over India since the Shalivahan age, and you will always find this timeless masterpiece worn during the wedding. Paithani is often regarded as a poem in a saree the colours, the motifs, the intricate zari border and the art of the weavers reflect a deep influence of different regimes and cultures and about silk trade passing through the land. The weavers of Paithan have thus been weaving stories of rulers and history, trade through its geography, and taking respite by looking towards nature its flora and fauna for inspiration. The saree thus woven becomes a Legend! Paithan is a small town, about 55kms from Aurangabad, Maharashtra. Various rulers patronized this silk and the particular weaving. Paithani was at its peak popularity during the Peshwa rule in Pune, during the 17th century. Nana Saheb Phadnis had to procure 12 silk sarees from Paithan and bring it to the Peshwas in Pune. Later the Moghul emperor Aurangzeb patronized the Paithani weavers and introduced new motifs. Jamdani weavers were brought in for this work. Further in the 19th century, the Nizam of Hyderabad and Begum Niloufer were esteemed supporters for the Paithan silk. Begum Niloufer is said to have contributed the motif of the parinda (peasant bird). Paithani sarees have been in demand earlier, and yet today, retain their popularity, exquisiteness and prized as heirloom to be passed on to from mother to daughter or daughter-in-law. The Prince of Wales Museum in Mumbai houses and displays 150 heirloom Paithanis! Passionate dedication and the faith of the weavers have kept Paithani silk work alive for more than 2000 years. In a land of abundant varieties of sarees why is the Paithani so unique? These sarees are hand woven; only pure silk and gold zari is used in the weave. Did you know that

gold and copper were blended in the proportion of 1kg of gold to 1 Tola of copper to make the fine zari thread long-lasting? The motifs define and classify this saree. Here I pen just a few examples: Bangdi-mor (peacock in ring), tota maina (parrot mynah bird), huma-parinda (Pheasant bird), behest, anarvel (pomegranate creeper flower), Pankha (fan), and ruiphool (cotton bud). Did you know it takes 18-24 months at times to weave these motifs with such intricacy? And only the master weavers can do this in the short time.

The next reason for being prized is the cost. Even in the olden days these sarees came at a steep price, affordable only to the wealthy rulers and traders. In the Peshwa era you would still pay a princely sum of Rupees100 -200, though today it may seem a pittance. It takes a master weaver an entire day to weave just an inch of this material and sometimes a saree is completed after a year-and-half! The Paithani sarees are expensive; they come for anything between Rs. 4,000 and Rs. 2.25 lakh. The price depends not on the material, but on the workmanship. Many a poem, song and article have been written about this legendary saree. There are moments when I hold the Paithani Close to my heart as close can be And its soft and silken caress Brings my Grandma back to me The intervening years then vanish Times broken thread runs whole again O Golden Squares of my Grandmas saree Tell Grandma of my well-being then. (Translated from Shanta Shelkes Marathi poem: Paithani.) For more information: www.uppercrustindia.com www.wikipedia/paithani www.grandeurmaharashtra/paithani-sarees.com www.waveindia.org/videopl

The Taj magazine (2002) archives Author Veena still owns a copy!